Scottish copter crash: No distress call beforehand

By Marie-Louise Gumuchian and Lindsay Isaac, CNN

updated 4:43 PM EST, Mon December 2, 2013

The wreckage of a police helicopter is lifted from the collapsed roof of Clutha pub in Glasgow on Tuesday, December 2. Eight people have been killed and 14 seriously injured since a police aircraft crashed into a downtown pub.

Rescuers work to lift the police helicopter wreckage from the roof of the pub on December 2.

A police officer lays flowers new the pub on Sunday, December 1.

Members of the public wait on Sunday to lay flowers near to the Clutha pub in Glasgow.

Rescue workers in Glasgow, Scotland, tend to the scene Saturday, November 30, where a police helicopter crashed into the Clutha Bar.

The damaged helicopter rests on the roof of the Clutha Bar.

Emergency workers sift through wreckage.

Rescue workers search for survivors inside the pub.

Emergency crews arrive at the scene of the crash.

Police markings can be seen on some of the helicopter wreckage.

Emergency workers inspect the roof of the pub.

Emergency workers gather near the scene of the crash.

The helicopter, carrying two police officers and a civilian pilot, crashed on the roof of the pub at 10:25 p.m., according to Scottish police.

Emergency responders work on the wreckage on top of the pub.

A spokesman for the Scottish Ambulance Service said there were "multiple ambulances and a special operations team on site."

The crash occurred as patrons listened to the self-styled ska band Esperanza, which had taken the stage at the pub a short time earlier.

Witnesses reported seeing people who appeared injured running from The Clutha pub after the crash.

Rescue workers gather near the scene of the crash.

The helicopter continued to smolder hours after the crash.

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Helicopter crashes into Glasgow pub

Helicopter crashes into Glasgow pub

Helicopter crashes into Glasgow pub

Helicopter crashes into Glasgow pub

Helicopter crashes into Glasgow pub

Helicopter crashes into Glasgow pub

Helicopter crashes into Glasgow pub

Helicopter crashes into Glasgow pub

Helicopter crashes into Glasgow pub

Helicopter crashes into Glasgow pub

Helicopter crashes into Glasgow pub

Helicopter crashes into Glasgow pub

Helicopter crashes into Glasgow pub

Helicopter crashes into Glasgow pub

Helicopter crashes into Glasgow pub

Helicopter crashes into Glasgow pub

Helicopter crashes into Glasgow pub

Helicopter crashes into Glasgow pub

Helicopter crashes into Glasgow pub

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STORY HIGHLIGHTS

NEW: Spokeswoman says police don't expect to find any more bodies or remains

Ninth body found at site of Friday-night crash, police say

About 150 people were listening to a band in the Clutha Bar when the crash occurred

(CNN) -- The police helicopter that crashed into a bustling Glasgow pub over the weekend did not issue a distress call before it came down, British air accident investigators said Monday as rescuers called off the search for more victims.

The helicopter did not have a flight data recorder, said David Miller, deputy chief inspector of the Air Accident Investigation Branch.

"However, it does have a significant number of modern electronic systems on board and it may be possible to recover recorded data from those systems," he said in a news conference.

"There were no emergency transmissions from the pilot before this accident."

Deputy Chief Constable Rose Fitzpatrick said Monday night that police are satisfied that there are no further fatalities at the scene.

Death toll rises in helicopter pub crash

Witness: I started screaming

Witness: It was a scene of devastation

The Clutha was packed with about 150 people listening to a band Friday night when the crash occurred. Eleven of the 32 people hurt remained in hospitals across Glasgow on Sunday, and the body of another victim was found late Sunday morning, police said. The remains of the latest victim had not yet been identified.

After Monday's operation, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service tweeted: "Helicopter has now been safely removed which will allow our specialist urban search and rescue crews to continue search of building."

An ambulance, escorted by police, later left the scene. Firefighters, ambulance staff and police officers formed a guard of honor as the vehicles passed by.

Fatalities in helicopter, pub

Far more people could have been endangered if the helicopter had crashed and exploded just a short walk away in Glasgow's central shopping district, said Gordon Smart, editor of the Scottish Sun newspaper.

From a nearby parking deck, Smart watched the helicopter tumble into the bar.

He waited for an explosion and fireball, but there was an "eerie silence" instead, he said.

A blast might have killed hundreds in the busy area, Smart said.

"It's a miracle that more people didn't die," he said.

The outcome was still grim: two police officers and a civilian pilot killed, and six others dead in the pub. Among the victims was Gary Arthur, the 48-year-old father of Chloe Arthur, who plays for the Celtic Football Club based in Glasgow.

The recovery operation will continue for "many days," Chief Constable Stephen House of Police Scotland said. Police Scotland has appealed to the public for "any photographs, audio or video footage they have of the incident or surroundings areas."